Baltimore City Power Rankings 7/2/14

Illustration by Alex Fine

Anthony Brown The lieutenant governor easily won the Democratic nomination for governor, making him the overwhelming favorite to win the general election and become only the third elected African-American governor in U.S. history. We wish he had some more innovative plans for Maryland, but if he makes as much progress as O'Malley--who signed bills to legalize gay marriage, abolish the death penalty, and decriminalize marijuana--he'll do just fine.

Heather Mizeur The upstart progressive candidate in the Democratic primary finished third, just behind Attorney General Doug Gansler. But Mizeur was easily the most innovative, proposing initiatives like using proceeds from legalized pot to pay for universal pre-K, and she succeeded in exciting the progressive base like no statewide candidate in years. Even more impressive, she maintained her positive campaign through the end, increasing her name recognition and leaving a good impression even with Brown, who promised to work with her. No doubt we'll hear more from her in years to come.